Curtain operating device



April 17, 1934. E. MONNIER CURTAIN OPERATING DEVICE Filed AJuly '7, 1935 Patented Apr. 17, 1934 UNITED STATES Vrnrianv'r OFFICE.

Application July 7, 1933, Serial No. 679,433

In Switzerland July 18, 1932 3 Claims.

This invention relates to curtain operating devices and has as its principal object the provision of a simplified mechanism for drawing and opening curtains wherein use is made of a single draw string for operating the curtain, this latter being moved in one direction by the traction exerted on the draw string and in the other direction by the action of a spring which is tensioned when Y pulling the draw string. Y

A further object is the provision of simple means for connecting the curtain to said spring so as to move with the spring upon this latter being tensioned or released. Y With these and other objects, the invention I consists in a combination of parts as will more fully appear from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing in which, l Figure 1 is a general View of the curtain operat- A20.ing mechanism.

Figure 2 is a transverse section through the operating mechanism.

Figure 3 is a fragment of a longitudinal section. Figures 4 and 5 are longitudinal and transverse sections, respectively, of a modication of a portion of the mechanism.

Figures 6 and 7 are longitudinal and transverse sections, respectively, of a further modiiication.

Figure 8 is a transverse section or" a still further modication.

According to Figs. l to 3, a curtain rod 1 has a coiled spring 2 wound around it. The coils of the spring pass through rings 3 on which a curtain 16 is suspended. One end of the spring is attached to a collar 4 which is xed to the rod, while the other end is attached to a collar 5 which is slidably engaged on the rod 1. A cord 6 is attached to the collar 5 and passes over pulleys 12a and 12b mounted on a lever 10 which is shown in detail in Figs. 2 and 3. This lever is rotatably mounted on an axis 13 carried by a channel iron 7 secured by means of screws 20 to a bracket 19 which is supported in a Wall 21. A spring 11 is engaged on the axis 13 and has one o of its ends bearing on the bottom of the channel iron 7 and the other end on a pin 22 carried by the lever 10, so that the spring tends to turn the lever in clockwise direction as seen in Fig. 3. v The lever l0 is also made of a channel iron but has one end provided with transverse grooves 8 cooperating with grooves provided on a transverse plate 8 of the channel iron 7 for locking the cord 6, passing between the two grooved 1 members, owing to the action of the spring 11. A

second cord 9 is suspendedY on a hook 23 xed to a cross pin 24 oi' the lever 10.

The described device operates in the following manner: Fig. 1 shows the curtain 16 not fully extended and the spring 2 partly .tensionedY If 60 it is desired to extend it further, a traction is exerted on the cord 6. The lever 10 is then brought into its inclined position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, by the pressure acting on the roller 12a, so that the clamp constituted by the 65 grooved members 8 and 8 opens and frees the cord 6.

Further traction on the cord 6 brings the slidable collar 5 towards the left in Fig. 1 until it abuts against the member 7 when the curtain is 70 fully extended and the spring 2 tensioned. When the cord 6 is now released, the lever l0 is brought back into its normal position by the action of the spring 11 and locks thus the cord 6.

When the curtain is desired to be opened, a 'I5 traction is exerted on the cord 9 to bring the lever 10 into the inclined position and to release the cord 6. The spring 2 then contracts towards the xed collar 4. The rings 3 engaged in the coils of the spring move with the spring and the curtain l is opened. Preferably the cord 6 will be slightly held in one hand simultaneously with pulling the cord 9, in order to brake the action of the spring 2.

In the embodiment according to Figs. 4 and 5, the curtain is suspended on hooks 25 secured to 85 rings 15 provided with a hole through which passes the spring 2. The rings 15 are supported by runners 14 movable in the interior of a hollow curtain rod 26, and penetrate through a longitudinal slot 27 of the rod.

According to Figs. 6 and 7 the spring 2 and the runners 14 are disposed in the interior of a hollow curtain rod 28. The runners have the shape oi cylinders moving along a plane face of the internal wall of the rod, and the spring 2 penetrates 95 the rings 15 on which the hooks 25 for the curtain are suspended.

According to the embodiment shown in Fig. 6, the spring 2 is contained in the interior of a hollow curtain rod 29 provided with a longitudinal 1'0'0 slot 30 through which penetrate pins 17 connecting the spring to external rings 18 on which the curtain 16 is suspended.

It will be understood that the cross section of l the curtain rod must not necessarily be a circle, 195 but that it can be a rectangle, triangle or other polygon and the spring 2 would then have a cor responding transverse section.

There could be provided two` parallel rods, one for guiding the spring 2 and the other for carry- Ho ing the curtain, While the. connection between the curtain and the spring will be the same as described.

The clamping device for the cord 6 could be replaced by any ordinary clamp placed so as to be actuated by the hand and operable to lock the cord in any desired position of the curtain.

I claimzl. A curtain operating device comprising a longitudinally slotted tubular rod, a coiled spring supported by said rod and having one end fixed and the other end slidable along the rod, a series of runners movable within said rod, means on said runners depending through said slot in the rod for supporting the curtain, said'ineans being traversed by the coils of the spring, a draw cord connected to the slidable end of the spring, and clamping means for locking the cord against the action of the spring.

2. A curtain operating device comprising a rod, a coiled spring supported by the rod and having one end xed and the other end slidable along the rod, means connected to the coils of the spring for supporting the curtain, a draw cord connected to the slidable end of said spring, a

lever pivoted adjacent one end of said rod, guide pulleys for said cord carried by the lever, a supporting member for said lever, coacting means on said member and said lever for locking the cord against the action of said coiled spring, and a spring urging said lever into a position in which said coacting means lock the cord.

3. A curtain operating device comprising a curtain rod, a coiled spring supported by the rod, one end of said spring being xed and the other end slidable relative to the rod, means connected to the` coils of the spring for supporting the curtain, a draw cord connected to the slidable end of the spring, a lever pivoted adjacent to one end of the curtain rod, a guide pulley for the draw cord carried by the lever, a lever supporting member having a clamping surface, and a spring acting on said lever to normally urge the draw `cord against said clamping surface, said guide pulley being disposed on said lever so that upon a pulling action on the draw cord the lever will move against the action of said spring to relieve the cord from clamping pressure.

EMMANUEL MONNIER. 

